Denying Muslim Anti-Semitism

Mahathir's views are emblematic of current Muslim discourse about Jews. This evil has already taken innocent lives; unless combated it could take many more.

The prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, informed the world this month, among other things, that "Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them." Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. national security adviser, described Mahathir's comments as "hateful, they are outrageous."

But she then added, "I don't think they are emblematic of the Muslim world." If only she were right about that.

In fact, Mahathir's views are precisely emblematic of current Muslim discourse about Jews -- symbolized by the standing ovation his speech received from an all-Muslim audience of leaders representing 57 states. Then, a Saudi newspaper reports, when Western leaders criticized Mahathir, "Muslim leaders closed ranks" around him with words of praise ("very correct," "a very, very wise assessment").

Although anti-Jewish sentiments among Muslims go back centuries, today's hostility results from two main developments: Jewish success in modern times and the establishment of Israel. Until about 1970, however, Muslim resentment remained relatively quiet.

But in the 1970s, political radicalization combined with an oil boom gave states like Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Libya the will and the means to sponsor anti-Jewish ideas worldwide. With barely a Muslim voice to counter ever-more-outlandish theories, these multiplied and deepened. For the first time, the Muslim world became the main locus of anti-Jewish theories.

By now, notes Morton Klein of the Zionist Organization of America, "Hatred of Jews is widespread throughout the Muslim world. It is taught in the schools and preached in the mosques. Cartoons in Muslim newspapers routinely portray Jews in blatantly anti-Semitic terms."

Indeed, Mahathir is hardly the only Muslim ruler to make anti-Jewish statements. President Bashar al-Assad of Syria said in 2001 that Israelis try "to kill the principles of all religions with the same mentality in which they betrayed Jesus Christ." The Iranian ayatollahs and Saudi princes have a rich history of anti-Jewish venom, as of course do Egyptian television and Palestinian textbooks.

Of the myriad examples, one stands out for me: a June 2002 interview on Saudi TV with a 3-year-old girl named Basmallah, made available by the Middle East Media and Research Institute:

Anchor: Basmallah, are you familiar with the Jews?Basmallah: Yes.Anchor: Do you like them?Basmallah: No.Anchor: Why don't you like them?Basmallah: Because . . .Anchor: Because they are what?Basmallah: They're apes and pigs.Anchor: Because they are apes and pigs. Who said they are so?Basmallah: Our God.Anchor: Where did he say this?Basmallah: In the Koran.

The little girl is wrong about the Koran, but her words show that, contrary to Rice's analysis, Muslim anti-Semitism extends even to the youngest children. That Mahathir himself is no Islamist but (in the words of New York Times columnist Paul Krugman) "about as forward-looking a Muslim leader as we're likely to find" also points to the pervasiveness of anti-Jewish bias.

The Muslim world today resembles Germany of the 1930s.

In its attitudes toward Jews, the Muslim world today resembles Germany of the 1930s -- a time when state-sponsored insults, caricatures, conspiracy theories and sporadic violence prepared Germans for the mass murder that followed.

The same might be happening today. Wild accusatory comments like Mahathir's have become banal. Against Israelis, violence has already reached a rate approaching one death per day over the past three years. Outside Israel, violence against Jews is also persistent: a Jewish building blown up in Argentina, Daniel Pearl's murder in Pakistan, stabbings in France, the Brooklyn Bridge and LAX killings in the United States.

These episodes, plus calling Jews "apes and pigs," could serve as the psychological preparation that one day leads to assaulting Israel with weapons of mass destruction. Armaments chemical, biological and nuclear would be the successors of Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau. Millions of Jews would perish in another Holocaust.

As in the 1930s, the world at large -- including the U.S. government -- again seems not to note the deadliness of processes now underway. Anti-Jewish rhetoric and violence are decried, to be sure, but with little sense of urgency and even less of their cumulative impact.

Condoleezza Rice and other top-ranking officials need to recognize the power and reach of the anti-Jewish ideology inculcated among Muslims, then develop active ways to fight it. This evil has already taken innocent lives; unless combated it could take many more.

Accepting the Reality of Islamic anti-Semitism

by Charles Jacobs

Last week Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad told the world's Muslims to modernize and unite to defeat the world's Jews. At a major gathering of Islamic leaders of 57 countries, he said, "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy: They get others to fight and die for them." The Malaysian prime minister received a standing ovation. None of the leaders objected to his assertion of Jewish supremacy. Many European leaders and President Bush denounced the hateful remarks.

The emergence of the new global anti-Semitism has signaled the end of the post-Holocaust respite where Jew-hatred as a mobilizing force, was put on the shelf. Last week's conference was an indication of the growing indecency enveloping the undemocratic leadership of many Islamic countries.

Why? Bernard Lewis, the wise man of Islamic studies, writes that Islam is a civilization which feels humiliated in the face of modern progress: it cannot provide its people with decent economies, political life, democracy, women's rights. When it asks, "What Went Wrong?" (The title of Lewis's exquisite analysis) it takes the easy path, excuses itself, and blames the Jews.

Jews have known about Islamic anti-Semitism for decades: Saudi royals routinely hand out The Protocols to visitors of the Kingdom; the Syrian Defense Minister Mustapha Tlass, published a book offering "evidence" Jews use blood to make matzah. Throughout the Oslo years, the Palestinian Authority taught children that Jews are less than human, have no right to self-determination, and deserve to be killed. Egypt's government-controlled television last year aired a series based on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It was broadcast throughout the Islamic world. The Saudis fund the teaching of Jew-hatred in Wahabi mosques and schools throughout the Islamic world.

The increasing Muslim immigration to Europe and America raises concerns that some of the new arrivals will bring with them the culture of anti-Semitism so prevalent in their home countries.

Indeed, the Jews of Europe, now dwarfed by the Muslim immigrants, are under significant stress. Synagogues and cemeteries and Jews themselves are attacked. Some Jews in France are contemplating leaving their country.

Even in America, the Washington Post revealed that Muslim schools in Virginia teach that Judgment Day will come when Muslims kill Jews and Christians. Steven Emerson has secretly filmed meetings in several American cities where Muslim leaders call for people here to kill the Jews.

The problem of Islamic anti-Semitism is one that the Jewish community has largely ignored over the past decade, although it recently has been getting more attention.

Why? I see four general reasons:

* Psychological denial. Who wants to think, 60 years after the Holocaust, that a new, religious campaign against the Jews could be taking shape? We liked to think the hatred from the Arab world was "street talk" that would dissipate "when peace came."
It probably won't.

* Selective reporting by the media. The media is reluctant to discuss the religious dimensions of the conflict in the Middle East because its preferred prepackaged view is that this is a secular struggle for national liberation. It is also reluctant to report negatively about Islam. Steve Emerson is boycotted by PBS.

* Jewish politics. Many in the Jewish community want to believe that the war in Israel is
primarily over borders, where compromise is possible. To think that the conflict is about the Jewish right of self-determination in the Islamic realm is daunting. They are also concerned that examples of Islamic anti-Semitism may be used to justify certain Israeli policies.

* Political correctness. We are a liberal people and do not want to speak badly about a race, religion or a people. We seem unable to distinguish between simple factual truth and bigotry. In our multicultural society, we have not yet developed a public language to describe Islamic anti-Semitism without potentially being accused of insensitivity or prejudice.

Some Jewish organizations with a mission to protect us from anti-Semitism, have been slow to deal with the new global anti-Semitism. They seem to be fighting the last war. But hatred is a weapon of mass destruction; anti-Semitic rhetoric has already killed hundreds of Jews in the Middle East and Europe. We must cut through the Jewish political confusion and the political correctness that stymies an honest understanding of the situation. Moreover, the broader American population must also confront Islamic anti-Semitism because too often "the Jews" are a proxy for the West and its values.

We have a responsibility to educate ourselves about this threat. Given today's sensitivities, we cannot always rely on the media or even on some of our secular or religious leaders, who may not feel comfortable speaking about these things, and prefer not to be labeled alarmists.

Dr. Charles Jacobs is president of The David Project (http://davidproject.org/), a grass roots initiative that promotes a fair and honest understanding of the Middle East conflict.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 14

(13)
Anonymous,
December 19, 2013 3:25 PM

singing to the choir

why is this kind of stuff only found in Jewish media? Why not find some way to get it into the public? Why not talk about the horror that muslims are doing to each other, i.e., syria. When did Jews perpetrate such acts on themselves and muslims. Why not focus on that? Play the game the way they do it? Be aggressive against then. We sit around being victims. Enough already.

(12)
Anny Matar,
May 1, 2012 4:55 PM

Everyone's afraid of the Muslims!!

The media has NEVER been in favour of THE Jews. They can't because NO ONE would buy their paper. The Indocrination as well as the basis of Jew hatred has been there for five thousand years not because the Jew made the others feel inferior but because there was always envy of their success. ISRAEL, now 64 years old, has achieved something the Arabs hadn't achieved here: " A BLOOMING DESERT!!!!" life is in the 21century!!! Which Muslim country has achieved that?? How can the media be pro - Israel??? There is too much Muslim money hidden behind them.

(11)
Kerry,
April 30, 2012 11:23 AM

Spencer, Geller, Simon Deng, et al

Have tried and are continually heckled. Spencer decimates Muslims in all debates by using their Islamic scholars, but Muslims will not listen truth because it is what they consider blasphemy

(10)
Saul Pillai,
December 22, 2010 1:14 AM

Muslims should really do some hard thinking…. If they want to say Jews are descendent of apes and pigs then was the Prophet of Islam marrying an ape and pig when he married two Jewish women Saffiya Bint Huyeiy Ibn Akhtab (a Cohen) & Rayhana Bint Zaid (Medina Qurayza Jewish Tribe) and they are numbered among the Mothers of the Believers / Muslims (Ummu al Muhminim)

(9)
Cameron Fairlie,
May 29, 2006 12:00 AM

Apathy towards Anti Semitism disturbing

Once, when I was working at a restaurant through a job agency, a young Muslim who at first seemed respectable, asked me one day, "who started the 2nd World War, the Nazis or the Jews?" I warned him that his hate is illegal here in Canada and that close to, if not over 7 million Jews died because of such hatred. He replied, "yeah, whatever." Even more disturbing was the reaction of the management. "That's his view," one of them sputtered out impulsively. The manager was no better declaring unashamedly, "It happened a long time ago, people need to put that out of their minds." I believe it was Ellie Wiesel who said that to forget would be to slaughter them all over again. Sickened, I declared my resignation as they were staring me down like a mad man.

As a Christian, I love the Jewish people, and regret and deplore our past history of Anti-Semitism and hope for the Church to build peaceful, and loving relationships with God's chosen people through which all the human family is blessed. (Genesis 12:3) It's time for all Muslims to repent of their bigotry and love their neighbor as themselves, which includes the Jewish people. Amen.

Anonymous,
February 9, 2015 1:01 PM

People who love themselves do not direct hatred at others. We a dealing with a process of dehumanization clearly not understood in the Western mindset

The tendency to apply Western context to a religion with political and military takeover dictat of the world only serves to curtain the truth. Islam meaning submission has to be understood on its own terms our failing to perceive this has us in harms way such as is not fully comprehended with nomenclature misapplications a large part playing into a master game in which we are therein caught in its headlights! The dimension of the threat and a central belief systems which informs it about which to many remain naive!

(8)
Eli Deutsch,
November 3, 2003 12:00 AM

NEVER HAVE SO FEW DONE SO MUCH FOR SO MANY!

I must strongly agree with the author's point of view.
When one reads the global 'Islamic Press' you'll get the full picture, It's all there staring you in the face. The Islamic countries don't practice covert anti-jewish feelings they proclaim it loud and clear, and we as Jews, with our history of persecution should believe them, before it's to late. When the Jews of Europe in the 1930's finally realized the Nazis were serious about creating a 'Judenrein' Europe, it was already too late to escape and save themselves, the borders were sealed.
The fact remains, when 57 heads of state give a standing ovation and loud round of applause to
a 'blame the Jews' speech, than there's little room for giving Muslim's the benefit of doubt vis a vis their anti-Jewish feelings and outright hate of Jewish people. But the speech itself is very telling, and boils down to jealousy, yes simple jealousy, that a mere 12 million people are so involved and embedded in every aspect of humanity, from bringing the concept of monotheism to the world, of which Islamic religion is based on, to finding cures of life threatening disease and championing human right causes etc. etc. In fact as someone said, this speech from a certain perspective is actually a compliment to the Jewish people. It's
like that phrase, NEVER HAVE SO FEW DONE SO MUCH FOR SO MANY.

(7)
Jamie Eitson,
November 3, 2003 12:00 AM

Israel and Islam

Thanks for the articles from your website....just recently signed on and find the articles informative.
I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem and all Israel....jamie e

(6)
Stephen,
November 2, 2003 12:00 AM

Mahatir's last hurrah.Seeking cheap publicity.

Please accept my apology on behalf of my Prime minister for his rude manners.By the way he is our fomer P.M.now.He just resigned on Friday 31 October.I think he wanted to say what he said for a very long time.Just that he never had the guts to do when he was still the P.M.He felt since he going to resign he might as well take a swipe, since he will no longer be responsible for our country administration.The other good reason is that what other forum is better than the OIC meeting, where all the Muslim leaders and country will be focused on the ongoings. Please take note this gathering of the muslim countries is the biggest since 9/11.He wants to show the the muslim world that he is championing their cause.Also one other reason is because our election is around the corner.This is also an election campaign , so that the ruling party can gain some mileage.Mind you majority of the malaysian are muslim, and their vote is very impotrant.So he is actually killing 2 birds with one stone.His comment is also to dilute the support for the opposition party which is also a muslim party i.e PAS.He has been struggling to convince a section of the muslim that the government is a muslim orientated party.For the record the last election the ruling party lost the state of Terengganu to the PAS, which is hell bent in turning malaysia into a muslim country , run by the ulamas.So by going against the JEWS he is planning to actually potray to the mass muslim majority that the ruling goverment is MUSLIM thru and thru.

Not to worry guys,he has lefr the building.We have a new P.M. Mr. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is more responsible and a person who engages his brain before he talks.

Shalom and HASHEM bless all of you
and may GOD Bless ISREAL.

(5)
H.T.,
November 2, 2003 12:00 AM

Generalizing Generalizations

Re: all the comments about "generalizations" when it comes to describing Muslim/Islamic/Islamist views of the Jews. Yes, it is true that not all Muslims view Jews with the hate that permeates the Arab-Muslim societies, just as not every Jew hates all Muslims/Arabs. Neither of the above authors did generalize that every Muslim feels this way about the Jews. However, the authors, like any educated person, knows that one individual Muslim does not make policy for the whole. One liberal Muslim does not write all the textbooks for their children. One Jew-loving Muslim does not preach love of the Jews in all the Friday sermons coming out of the mosques on State-sponsored television in the Arab world. It still takes a majority, even in autocratic regimes, to indoctrinate a people with an ideology. It may start with a minority, but without the majority eventually giving in to the minority viewpoint it would not grow to be such a widespread epidemic. Hitler alone was no threat. But, his viewpoints spread like wildfire among his followers in the Nazi party, and eventually spilled into "mainstream" German society. The same is true with the Islamic world. Monotheism began with one man, Avraham Avinu. It now encompasses three major world religions, and approximately half the world's entire population. One radical idea, whether good or bad, has the power to transform the world. Let's not delude ourselves into thinking that radical Islam is really the viewpoint of the few, and should not be feared or spoken about. By the same token, we should pray that those liberal/moderate/mainstream Muslims' own ideology should take root instead, and encourage those Muslims with whom we CAN have open dialogue, to speak up and get their viewpoints known and out there for all to see and hear. Without their help those radicals within Islam will win, and destroy even the "good" Muslims along with the rest of us.

(4)
Henri,
October 30, 2003 12:00 AM

Views from a Malaysian Jew

Living in a country, lead by a very capable leader, things are just getting in hand. This leader of ours are just merely stating his fact, one that is so true. Jews did have influence to the world.

The fact is, this modernistaion of our thoughts and the effort that we made, have affected the world in a way, that none of us ever know that we have indeed 'ruled the world' literary, none of us awaked of this truth.

Why we did not know? A simple yet true answer, we, the Jews, did not want to conquer the world, take the Chinese for example, the are in the whole globe, doing their stuff, and occupying very important position as staesmen or runners of economic backbone of a country, are they going to conquer the world? NO! But still rumours exist that they would...

In the end of the day, I would not call my own beloved leader as anti-semitic, he is merely stating a fact, a fact that is not known, even by ourselves, maybe we did crossed the border line without even knowing it. Malaysia is not anti-semitic as I live a very peaceful life here.

Grace from HaShem

(3)
Howard,
October 29, 2003 12:00 AM

Why

When people called Moslem a gutter religion and Mohammed a child molester, no Jewish organizations were heart to condemn those comments. Why are we so quick to complain about the silence of others where anti-jewish statements are made, but condemnation of similar statements about other groups is not a high priority. Should people watch what we do, not what we say.

Pipes was the one complaining from 1994-1999 when there was peace telling everyone how good things would be when Israel got tough. Well there have been bombings and everything he said has been done; are we better off, or have his and Sharon's policies, along with the absence of mediation been a complete failure.

(2)
Daniel Joseph,
October 28, 2003 12:00 AM

Wake up call

Very informative article, and one that is not afraid to speak the truth. Finally we are realizing that the Islamic community is calling for a Jihad against Israel, Jews, and our allies. They have only been saying this since the State of Israel has existed. Israel is surrounded by those who want the destruction of our homeland, and our birth right. We need to listen to what is being said by those who hate us very closely. Denial only leads to genocide, history should have taught us that already. We must begin to realize that we live in a very explosive time, much like the 1930s. One mistake can very easliy lead to a fight for our very existence again.

(1)
Emma Jamieson,
October 28, 2003 12:00 AM

Different Look

I would just like o say that whilst it is true that there is a strong anti-Jewish element within certain muslim communities, it is unfair and unexpected from such a knowledgeable man to make such sweeping comments about muslims as a whole people. I am a newly observant Jew from London and I have now lived two years of my life with muslims from various backgrounds who randomly ended up in dorm rooms with me. I was initially concerned that we might not get along, but I made the best effort to be polite, and then felt ashamed that I had been initially so assuming. All three people that I lived with, one from Pakistan, one from Afghanistan and one converted muslim girl from London were all wonderfully welcoming to me and eager to learn about Judaism and share their stories with me. They made every effort to accomodate me when I had to daven or wanted to observe Shabbat. They were eager to discuss Israel frankly and openly and whilst they admitted that there were anti-semitic views existing in the middle east because of the conflict they also conceded that they were personally ashamed of those anti-semitic demonstrators and that they were thankful that it was a minority. In the same way as we don't like being labelled as a general, homogeneous group of "anti-muslims" or "anti-arabs", so it is unfair to call all muslims "anti-Israel" or "anti-semitic". We cannot possibly know every muslim on this earth, just as they cannot possibly delve into each one of our complex lives. If we expect to be treated as a moral people who truly adhere to the belief of "treat others as you would like to be treated yourself" then we should act like it, and not make such sweeping, vague attacks. yes there is a problem of anti-semitism, let us address it in a honest and open fashion, not with a hard-line, narrowed view.

I’ve been dating a young woman for the past two years and we are starting to think about marriage. The problem is that she is not Jewish. I would want her to convert, but in a way where there would be no doubt about its validity, so that we and our kids don’t have problems later on. How do you recommend that I proceed?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

I appreciate your desire to do the right thing and proceed in an authentic way.

The process of conversion is challenging and involves a process of a year or two. This benefits the person converting, to ensure he fully appreciates the responsibilities he is taking on.

According to the Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch), a valid conversion replicates the experience at Mount Sinai of 3,300 years ago, when the Jewish nation accepted the Torah. For your friend to convert, she must:

believe that Judaism is the true religion, not just accept it by default

study what it says in the Torah

commit to observe all the Torah's commandments

Further, a conversion must be motivated for the sincere purpose of getting close to God and His Torah, not for ulterior motives. Thus, your friend would have to embrace Judaism and the Torah for its own sake, not in order to marry you. She should have the exact same desire to convert even with you entirely out of the picture.

If your friend studies Judaism and feels it is right for her, she would then approach an Orthodox conversion court and explain her situation. The court would then decide if it feels she is a sincere candidate for conversion. If yes, she would begin the lengthy process of studying and practicing to become a true convert.

Of course, to have a successful relationship, you will also need a high level of appreciation and commitment to Judaism. Perhaps you could begin your own study program to discover how Torah values enhance our lives and form the bedrock of civilization.

You should endeavor to live near a Jewish community which has adult education programs, rabbis you can consult with, Shabbat hospitality programs, etc.

In 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), Moses completed his farewell address to the Jewish people, and God informed Moses that the day of his death was approaching (Deut. 31:14). Amazingly, the anniversary of Moses' completing his teaching coincides with the date in 1482 of the first printing of the standard format used for Jewish Bibles today: vowel signs, accents, translation (Targum), and Rashi commentary.

Lack of gratitude is at the root of discontent. In order to be consistently serene, we must master the attribute of being grateful to the Creator for all His gifts. As the Torah (Deuteronomy 26:11) states, "Rejoice with all the good the Almighty has given you." This does not negate our wanting more. But it does mean that we have a constant feeling of gratitude since as long as we are alive, we always have a list of things for which to be grateful.

[Solomon] was wiser than all men (I Kings 5:11), even wiser than fools (Midrash).

What does the Midrash mean by "wiser than fools"?

A man of means was once a Sabbath guest at the home of the Chofetz Chaim. He insisted upon paying the sage in advance for the Sabbath meals - an insulting demand. To everyone's surprise, the Chofetz Chaim accepted the money.

After the Sabbath the Chofetz Chaim forced the guest to take the money back. He explained, "Had I refused to accept the money before the Sabbath, the thought that he was imposing upon me might have distracted from the man's enjoying the spirit of the Sabbath. Although it was foolish of him to feel this way, I wished to put his mind at rest."

Not everyone thinks wisely all the time. Some people have foolish ideas. Yet if we oppose them, they may feel they have been wronged. Insisting on the logic of our own thinking may not convince them in the least. In such instances, it may require great wisdom to avoid offending someone, yet not submitting to his folly.

By accepting his guest's money, knowing that he would return it to him after the Sabbath, the Chofetz Chaim wisely accommodated this man's whim without compromising on his own principles.

A wise person may be convinced by a logical argument, but outsmarting a fool truly requires genius.

Today I shall...

try to avoid offending people whom I feel to be in the wrong, without in any way compromising myself.

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